• Daniels put together a record-setting performance: His 95.9 PFF overall grade is the second-highest mark by a quarterback in a game so far this year — trailing only Kyler Murray (96.9) in Week 2 — and the best by a Washington quarterback in PFF history.
• Cincinnati's pressure didn't faze the rookie: The former LSU Tiger went 3-for-4 for 32 yards and two touchdowns against pressure, posting a 91.3 PFF overall grade.
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Estimated Reading Time: 5 minutes
From Andy Dalton’s renaissance performance to the Minnesota Vikings remaining red-hot against the Houston Texans, there were a plethora of fascinating storylines from the third week of the 2024 NFL season. But maybe the most intriguing development happened on Monday night.
After two decent performances to start his pro career, No. 2 overall pick Jayden Daniels was unleashed in earnest against the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday Night Football. The reigning Heisman Trophy winner propelled the Washington Commanders to a 38-33 upset victory over the winless Bengals, resetting the rookie record for single-game completion percentage (91.3%) while compiling 293 total yards and three scores. Daniels’ 95.9 PFF overall grade is the second-highest mark by a quarterback in a game so far this year — trailing only Kyler Murray (96.9) in Week 2 — and the best by a Washington quarterback in PFF history.
Highest-Graded Quarterbacks in Week 3 | 2024
Daniels’ first two games saw him largely fall victim to a fast play style that revolved around protecting the ball. A whopping 26.4% of Daniels’ dropbacks came on screens against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New York Giants, which ranked as the third-highest proportion in Weeks 1-2. Likewise, Daniels hardly aired the ball out, with his 5.2-yard average depth of target ranking 29th among 30 quarterbacks with 70-plus dropbacks.
After keeping the training wheels on to start the season, offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury turned Daniels loose on Monday night. The results were not only rather stupendous but may have unleashed the NFL’s next great dual-threat passer.
Against Cincinnati, Daniels took significantly deeper shots downfield. His 9.7-yard average target depth was a drastic step up from the prior two weeks, during which the rookie was more contained. He entered Monday night with only three attempts of 20-plus yards but exceeded that against the Bengals alone, going 2-for-4 on deep throws. One of those dimes included the game-winning touchdown to Terry McLaurin, a breathtaking throw under pressure that sealed the win.
Jayden Daniels' 2024 Season Progression
Daniels was also much improved against pressure relative to the first two weeks. Against Cincinnati — which recorded only a 22.6% pass-rush win rate on Monday — Daniels was more composed as the pocket constricted. The former LSU Tiger went 3-for-4 for 32 yards and two touchdowns against pressure, posting a 91.3 PFF overall grade. That’s considerably better than his 47.4 and 49.3 overall grades under duress against Tampa Bay and New York, respectively, despite the number of pressured dropbacks being largely similar.
The comparison in target breakdown by route for Daniels also helps explain the jump. In Weeks 1-2, Daniels threw to go routes or posts a combined 9.6% of the time, but that figure leapt to 28.5% against Lou Anarumo’s defense. Likewise, the rookie targeted crossing routes at a 9.5% rate compared to 4.8% beforehand.
Kingsbury deserves credit for opening up the playbook, too. Daniels’ screen rate was still higher than one would like in primetime (16.1%), but it was certainly diminished relative to his initial two NFL games. Trusting a rookie to make that kind of leap in only his third pro start wouldn’t be easy for many coaches.
In addition to his passing prowess, the Commanders’ starter maintained his existing rushing success. Daniels gained 46 yards after contact and forced three missed tackles on only 12 attempts, posting a 77.4 rushing grade. That’s even better than his 74.8 rushing mark through the first two games, which already ranked seventh among quarterbacks.
Highest Quarterback Rushing Grades | 2024
Despite a scintillating final college season in Baton Rouge, Daniels has tendencies to address in his first few NFL seasons, including allowing fewer pressures himself and determining how often to take off and scramble (plus being more careful with avoiding reckless hits). Daniels still needs to improve at avoiding his own pressure, because his nine pressures allowed are tied for fifth, and he wasn't much better in that department on Monday night. Nonetheless, those flaws can be masked when Daniels plays to such a composed and dominant degree.
The baseline collegiate passing foundation for Daniels was a stellar deep ball — his 99.2 deep-ball passing grade led the FBS last season — with a combination of big-time throws (8.4% big-time throw rate ranked third in FBS) and avoiding turnovers (career 1.6% turnover-worthy play percentage). In his first two NFL games, Daniels had done the latter, committing only one turnover-worthy play on 72 dropbacks. Now, we’re seeing the full-fledged version of the rookie, meshing his gorgeous deep-ball ability without putting the ball in harm’s way.
The Commanders face a difficult upcoming three-game stretch featuring the Cardinals, Browns and Ravens, with the latter two fielding defenses with top-10 PFF grades. Despite the challenge those units pose, they should serve as further litmus tests for Daniels and his ability to weaponize both his arm and athleticism, plus stay calm under pressure.
Ultimately, if Kingsbury continues to allow Daniels to make splash plays by attacking down the field and with his legs, sustained success could follow for Washington’s budding rookie — and potentially even allow the Commanders to exceed preseason win expectations.
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